I drove to Duluth yesterday afternoon to meet with the cardiology team. First, I had an EKG, then labs. Finally, I went to the cardiology unit to hear the results. All good. Will didn’t go as we are having lots of seed orders and he, Mike, and Dara were home, busily packing seeds like crazy. Most big seed companies are automated and so efficiently handled. Not ours. We pack every single seed by hand, just like they were raised. It’s a little slow but it also lets us toss out any suspicious seeds that look immature or damaged. Machines can’t do that!

Mike, Dara, and Sherri (away putting seed bins back on the shelf) are a huge help!

Someday I’d like to clean the house. But that’s not happening any time soon. Visitors will just have to realize that now is a super-intense, busy time and excuse seeds on the floor, piles of dog hair under the sofa and other messy things. I did get the go-ahead to wash dishes, and I was pretty glad of that. Our friend, Dara, had washed a sink full for us but it made me feel guilty.

Pretty soon all our gardens will start looking like this. Hang in there guys!

On the way home, I stopped at Aldis to get some grapes. I walked by the frozen turkeys, and they were .49 a pound. Butterball turkeys! I only got one as I’ve got two more in the freezer already and don’t know how much room I have. You can be sure I’ll check. If I can fit in more, I’ll sure buy more. I’m seeing tough times ahead. I sure hope I’m wrong but .49 a pound for meat is pretty darned cheap! I’m always on the lookout for super sales to augment what we raise at home and stock that pantry up even more.

I use a lot of canned turkey in so many different recipes.

— Jackie

46 COMMENTS

  2. Jackie, Your filling seed orders by hand is quite the example of keeping it local. Well you know how they say that the difference is ‘service’. I read a recent newsletter by Joel Salatin. He told of a now 21 yr old guy who already processes neighbors deer meat, and wanted to start doing so with pork, beef, and lamb. He was directly spoken to by the dept. of ag and boldly told, You can comply all you want, BUT WE WILL FAIL YOU. WE DONT WANT TO MESS WITH YOU. He was a local guy, a small business for his neighbors and the federal government told him the truth; the federal government doesn’t want local, or family based business/processing. Have you noticed the processors that are going out of business? The small food industries that are burning down, the chicken industry decimated? Basic is Best, local is definitely Best, home raised is Best. Community is Best. While the overreaching fed government and it’s AI serve only to complicate our lives.

    • Amen Elizabeth. The government has it’s greedy fingers in too many of our pies! It isn’t getting better, either. Bah!!

  3. Oh yes, I really do thank God for our blessings of having such good friends!! I just hope we can reciprocate.

  5. Great news, Jackie! I’m so glad your procedure went well and that the results were good. What a relief. Still sending love and prayers from Minneapolis!

    • Thank you both for your love and prayers!! I’m feeling better every single day. Even thinking about planting my first pepper seeds pretty soon.

  6. Thank you Jesus for a good report! Wahoooo!!! When you can up your turkey do you roast it first or just cut it off the bone and cube it up?

    • Yes, we sure thanked Jesus for my results!! I usually roast my turkey first as its easier to cut up to can. But sometimes I just cut it into chunks and can raw. When I do that I also add about half a jar’s worth of broth as it seems to make the meat more tender than just canning it “dry”, without liquid.

  7. Do not know you personally but feel like we are old friends. You have helped me with canning a bunch. Thank you!!! I wish you more safe healing and that God watches over you. Thank you for sharing yourself and your family with us. You are such a wonderful lady. God Bless You and Your Family

  8. Great news you passed your one week check! Feel sorta bad that we all kept Will from going with you(all them seed orders) but obviously not enough to stop us all from ordering! I So appreciate the hands on you provide. i dont know how many half seeds or definitely unviable looking commercial packets have. yeah i had to buy a few-your northern shorter grow season, darn , cant get everything. but I m learning from you seed saving techniques which have cut purchasing down to the barest. my okra just didn’t cut it last year. take continued care . don’t over due yourself on washing dishes!
    have a great day.

    • Will was grateful to have had so many seed orders he had to stay home and fill them. (He hates to leave the homestead, anyway and I suspect it was a good excuse for him anyway.)
      I have tried growing eggplant, okra and sweet potatoes every way possible here in the north. And I have never had decent luck with any of them. Oh well, you can’t have everything!
      My wish is that everyone will save their own seeds and reduce their dependence on seed businesses. Even ours! But then we always tempt people with something great and new. Bad Jackie!!

  9. Wonderful test results! I bet you feel like a new woman. Friends like yours are a true blessing and hard to find.

    We’re having a warm spell here. Yesterday I planted out the leek seedlings I did from seed and started some arugula sets. Grown in a plastic window box on the front porch, they make great additions to salads. Spring is coming!

    • Yes, it is! Sooner for you than us. But it’s coming. I don’t quite feel “new” yet but am feeling better and am able to do more every day. I’m hoping by spring my knees will tame down too so I can work more comfortably in the gardens.

  10. I’m so grateful for your good report. I hope you are feeling better also.
    That garden of yours is my eye candy!
    Good job finding a .49 a lb turkey! I paid 2.49 a lb for a frozen one!!
    I will keep my eye out for .49 for sure.

    • I’ve been watching and watching. No luck at Walmart, where some folks had said they found great sales. Then POW! Forty nine cents at Aldis. I want to sneak back and get a couple more even though Will is groaning, saying “we already have two in the freezers” plus the one I just got. He always comes to dinner though!!

  11. Brought up the fact we could easily grow more potatoes to the better half – was not averse to the area where I said we could plant more.
    Will also drop the hint for better half to look for a turkey (or two – we have plenty of freezer space right now). Unlike Jackie, I’d gorge. Then freeze leftovers which would be consumed. Must be genetic, I come from a long line of farmers (getting close to 400 years in this country). Like my paternal grandfather, I like poultry. I also like beef and pork – just call me protein girl lol.

    • Me too. I love vegetables but could never become a Vegan. I plan on cooking that turkey for the next day our friends will be here packing seeds. We’ll gorge but good then! With company.
      I hope planting more potatoes works for you. I know I’ll be planting an extra row. We harvested enough for us, plus our friends and family. What a great feeling!!

  12. I am so glad that you are doing so well!! I better check out those turkeys too! That is a cheap meal and the broth!!! My friend in AZ said today gas went from 2.99 to 3.99. Due to the tariffs. So maybe you are right that tough times are ahead.

    • @Cindy – repeat after me – tariffs are nothing but a tax hike, paid by the end consumer. So instead of saying “due to the tariffs”, please refer to it as the republican tax hike. Likely trying to pay for the tax cut for the 2% or richer. Any tax cut you and I get will be at best, 1/3 of the costs we’ll pay for food and goods.
      I guess we can add $2.00 a gallon gas, cheaper eggs, and no inflation to the great lies list.

      • Right on the mark Selena. We are definitely in for IT. hope 49cent a# is not history. Though we here, are fortunate in raising or harvesting from the wild all our meat. I baby my hens as 5$ an up a dz is the going rate.

      • I too come from a long line of self-reliant ancestors. Some arrived in Massachusetts in 1631. Many of the bloggers here are conservatives or republicans but we stick to gardening and other self-reliant comments. I didn’t know that this was a forum for Trump Derangement Syndrome.

        • No derangement, just fact. Tariffs are a tax increase, pure and simple. AND are intended to protect US companies. You really think the oil pumped in the US is going to be solely sold here versus the highest global bidder?

    • PLEASE folks, let’s keep politics out of this blog. I’m sure mine and yours may not be the same. But neither are our religions, family heritages etc. No need to bicker and argue. Nobody will change anyone’s ideas. Period. We’re all homesteaders. Let’s let that be enough in these tough times.

      • +
        Thank you, Jackie. There is so much for which to be grateful; what a blessing to meet fellow ‘self-reliants’ from your blog, sharing homesteading ideas that make self-reliance that much easier. God grant us all the vision to see how He blesses us.

  14. Received my seed order today. Couldn’t be happier. You & your team do wonderful work. Glad to hear your recovery is progressing well. Looking forward to spring right around the corner and anxious to start my pepper & tomato seeds.

    • Me too! I can envision those little green plants springing up in their little containers. I’m glad your seeds arrived in good shape. I always worry about the Post Office and their machines gobbling up those precious little seeds.

  15. I am so glad that you had a good report. Don’t worry about the messy house. If they are good friends coming to visit, they won’t care a bit! I have dried seeds and overwintering potted plants all over my house. :)

    • One of these days I’ll sneak a few hours to “red it up” like Mom used to say. Meanwhile, I’ll tell folks to just kick the box aside and sit down on the rumpled couch and ignore the seeds all over the floor from shelling corn.

  16. Thankful you got a good report on your TAVR procedure! I am excited to start my garden in our new place but I need to source some manure compost.

    • Check around horse folks and fellow homesteaders. Someone is always happy to have you clean out a pen or two in exchange for the manure. Even here in the big woods!!

  17. Good to hear you’re doing well.
    I like the quote “a clean house is a sign of a misspent life.”
    Life can be messy, so I’m good with comfortable clutter.
    I also picked up the .49 a # turkey. Good deal.

    • Isn’t that exciting. No, not about me, but thanks. The turkey!! I love your quote. I want it burned on a slab of wood and put in my living room!!

  18. Greetings Jackie.
    I’m glad to hear the one week exam went very well yesterday.
    It’s good Will, Mike and Dara helped get those seed orders packed.
    I appreciate that you are so careful packaging those seeds to weed
    out anything that isn’t good. It’s helpful Dara did a sink of dishes
    for you too. Even though you did some as well it does help.
    I’ve picked out the seeds I want to order this time around and hope
    to get to town and get a money order in next few days and get my
    order sent to you.
    It’s been around 50 degrees here and wish it would stay around so
    can get my seeds started soon and a start on building the greenhouse.
    I know patience is necessary for everything to be a success.
    It is encouraging to see a picture of your garden. Does make me want to
    get to planting though lol
    Thank you for bringing the turkey at Aldi to our attention. I’ll stop by there
    too and see if have some in my location. .49 cents a pound is a super price!
    I use turkey in dishes when needed and canned 3 turkeys after
    Thanksgiving. It helps be be prepared for anything.
    My youngest daughter is frugal but doesn’t really put much back so I have always
    in mind to have extra for them if they should need it in days to come.
    Thanks for updating us on everything.
    May you and Will have a blessed peaceful remainder of the day.

    • Yep, that’s why I always can more than “we need”. Folks are always asking me why the heck I keep canning when my basement pantry is about overflowing out the door. Because someone else may need it, that’s why.
      If you have a checking account, you can skip buying a money order to save money. We’ve never had a check bounce and are happy to receive them. (Trying to save you a trip to town.)

    • I don’t want to sound like a doom and gloom person, as I’m not at all. But right now, the economy sucks, and the world situation is awful. Better to be more prepared than less.
      We prepare, not out of fear, but from a sense of strength and independence.

  20. Always good to get a passing grade!! In time you’ll be full steam ahead. I happy for your recovery . 50 plus degrees here in Southern Wisconsin . I agree probably crazy times ahead-but, maybe that’s always true.

    • Yup, that’s what I thought. I’m doing more every day now and feeling better doing it. It’s been warmish here too, but boy, have we had the wind and, today, snow.
      I don’t know how crazy the future will be, but I know eggs at $7 and up a dozen ARE crazy!!

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